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Sunday, 28 February 2016

This week's Splitcoaststampers Featured Stamper is rokale (AKA Rose). Her gallery is absolutely full of the most adorable Christmas cards, but I resisted and chose this non-Christmas card as my inspiration:

I am combining this week's FS Challenge with this week's Muse Challenge, where Jenni gave us this pretty spring inspiration:

(if this post looks familiar, it's because I accidentally published it not just once, but TWICE before I was supposed to - apologies to all involved!). My mistake made me rethink my card - here's my original take, using Ellen Hutson's Many Thanks die and Simon Says Stamp Mini Flowers and Leaves:

Tuesday, 23 February 2016

I know that a lot of you will (like I did) immediately think of your distress inks. A lot of distress ink techniques are not exactly CAS, but if you use them in small doses with lots of white space, your design will still end up CAS. I sponged distress inks on a white scrap before I used a Lawn Fawn (our sponsor this week!) Scripty Thanks die. I left the colours faded (and distressed) by not using a lot of ink.

I also used my OLD Heidi Swapp Distress Tool (remember these?) on the edges of the strip under my distress-ink sponged sentiment to add a bit of texture. Using a white strip helps preserve white space.

Now it's your turn! Be sure to drop by the rest of the DT for more inspiration!

Saturday, 20 February 2016

Today is my sister's birthday. This is the sister that lives in Virginia, and is an equine surgeon. Yes, this is an otter and not a horse. The motto for her year at the University of Guelph was an otter so I knew that this little Lawnfawn set would be perfect for her birthday.

I started by masking a circle an then cutting the Paper Smooches 'waves' in masking tape. I masked the bottom half of the circle and stamped the otter. Before I lifted the tape, I fitted the top half of the masking tape back into the bottom half, so that my water would be perfectly masked. I sponged Salty Ocean and Chipped Sapphire below the water line and some Tumbled Glass just at the top. I then coloured the otter with Copics and cut out 3 little presents and coloured them as well (#thedailymarker30day). Finally I used some Stickles on the water and presents. The sentiment (Have an otterly great birthday) is stamped inside.

Thursday, 18 February 2016

After reminding myself about some old stamps yesterday, I broke out some new stamps and dies for today. I am linking this up to Merry Monday where the theme is berries.

I love this modern dove from Dee's Distinctively and thought he would pair well with a graphic sentiment from Neat & Tangled. The branch is from Impression Obsession. I coloured the berries with a red copic and put a tiny dot of Glossy Accents on top for shine and dimension.

Wednesday, 17 February 2016

I've been sorting through my old stamps over the past couple of weeks (it is a big job) - trying to decide what to keep and what to sell. It's been fun to remember some of my old stamps and be re-inspired by them! This card is made with stamps I bought way, way back and is for this week's Colour Q Challenge and the current CAS(E) This Sketch challenge:

Tuesday, 16 February 2016

I used two sets from Stamplorations - Hashtag Authentic and Small Birds. The sketchy/grungy feeling of the two create unity in my design. Making this a one-layer card and leaving lots of white space make sure that it's CAS. I stamped this in Stampin' Up's Archival Basic Gray - not quite as stark a contrast as the dark black but still stamps really well.

I coloured with copics, so this is also for #thedailymarker30day.

Now it's your turn. We know (because we had a big discussion about it!) that this one will really get you thinking! And that's no yolk!

Saturday, 13 February 2016

Here's my card for this week's Muse Challenge, where Anita has given us this beautiful inspiration:

I just can't help it - when I see red and green together, I think Christmas! (Plus, I'm missing Muse: ChristmasVisions - not long until we start up on March 2!). My card has a dramatic tilt from the camera to try and capture the shine on the mirror card, which I think gives a classic, vintage feel.

Thursday, 11 February 2016

Oh, look what flew to my house yesterday! I was so excited to receive my WPlus9 order that I dropped everything to make a card right away! I chose to use the sketch from Seize The Birthday: (ETA- oops, missed the deadline!)

These birds are so cute and unique in their style that it was very easy to justify this purchase despite my determination to use more of what I already have. Let's not talk about the sentiment set that also jumped into my cart....

This bird seemed to be jumping for joy and I finally figured out that he is the french-fry bird (related to one of the sentiments in the set) and that's what is in his mouth.

I coloured him as a robin with copics (#thedailymarker 30day) and stickles and softly sponged the circle with Tumbled Glass and Mowed Lawn.

I used:
-WPlus9 Happy Birds and matching dies
-WPlus9 That is All for the sentiment and hearts (oops, I said I wasn't going to talk about it!)

Sunday, 7 February 2016

Here's my card for this week's Splitcoaststampers Featured Stamper challenge, where our Featured Stamper is actually a scrapbooker! Congratulations, Beatrice - you have a wonderful gallery!

This is the first time I've seen a gallery that is almost all scrapbook layouts and at first, I wasn't sure what to do - I have never scrapped. But I put my thinking cap on and came up with this card, inspired by this layout:

I focused on Beatrice's:
-layout (vertical strip off-set from the centre)
-use of flowers
-colour combination

I changed:
-proportion of colours, adding more white and yellow/orange
-reversed her white sentiment on black to black on white
-reversed the blue and black layers

I used WPlus9's Doodle Buds and Strictly Sentiments 1. I tried a very loose method of colouring with Copics (#thedailymarker30day). My very 'colour it properly' brain is struggling a little bit with the result, but I like it - it seems to go well with the sketchy feeling of the flowers.

Saturday, 6 February 2016

I took some artistic license with it - there are only 2 streamers and the sentiment isn't layered over them, but it's fun. I do like how the 'brushed' sentiment has a ribbon-y feeling that works well with the streamers. I stamped the streamers with two colours to add a bit more interest.

Friday, 5 February 2016

Here's my card for the current Card Concept Challenge, where we are inspired by this pretty photo of heart-shaped cookies. After the agony of yesterday's card, this one came together pretty easily, so I'll probably keep making cards. Don't laugh, I was this close to throwing it all out! lol! But I would miss you all too much!

Thursday, 4 February 2016

Oh I had grand plans for Wednesday. It was too rainy to walk, so I planned pretty much the full day at home with nothing to do but make cards. (well, there's always other stuff to do, but you know what I mean!)

I started with Muse 151, where Michele has given us a pretty card and a fun song-based challenge:

I focused on Michele's colours and chose a Bowie song*. I pulled out one of my all-time favourite stamps (Both End Blossoms by Stampin' Up) and got started.

I wanted to participate in #thedailymarker30daychallenge as well so I decided to try the negative space colouring technique that Jennifer McGuire showed us the other day. (She always makes it look sooooo easy, doesn't she? lol!)

I had trouble stamping, then embossing, then masking, then sponging (repeat, repeat, repeat). I ended up with this:

In the end, I managed to salvage one, cut it into a strip using one edge of a pierced rectangle die on each side of my panel.

I finished it off with a Concord & 9th sentiment. And then had trouble folding the card without cracking it, and photographing it.